They say to write about what you know, so today I wrote a poem about everyone’s favorite steam golem, Blitzcrank. He is a champion in League of Legends, an online MOBA game. I’d link to all those or describe it, but its easier just to say google it. In short, its a competitive video game I spend too much time in sometimes. Ol’ Blitz is a steam golem, and the only one of his kind. His specialty is in team fights and setting up ganks, really my style of play. He gets me a win more often than not, so this poem is for him, the fictional game character.

The Kingseeker

A golden age awaits those who wield it, prosperity and life abounding.

by Nicholas Byrley

–

Maybe I’m channeling Fred Saberhagen, but the idea of magic swords is always a delicious one. I had at first the idea for just the martyr’s blade, then the second line of that poem pretty much wrote the other two. It makes fertile ground for a story, three opposing characters and their blades. Really one I should get around to writing…

Written for the Trifectra Writing Challenge. The photo was a fun one, shame it was limited to thirty three words. I had a lot of fun reading the other entries too. Anyone else know of challenges/prompts like this?

Gravok

The words of Jakob the Mystic, as transcribed by his servant Adam moments before his death.

~

Cold and calculating, spawn of the endless void.

Master of energy, learned of forbidden science.

Schemer and plotter, player of the grand game.

Renegade and outlaw, aberration and savage beast.

Dark days of cosmic woe, his time has come!

~

Adam is said to have pressed his master for more information about this vision, but all he got was one name.

“Gravok”

A simple, brutal name. I find it suits me. I could have been called anything, names are temporary transient things. Easily discarded and even more easily claimed. The organization called me Test Subject A17X. Alpha batch, specimen 17, genetic mutations present. There goal was not to create me, but to create toy soldiers for their armies. Obedient and dedicated weapons for them to display and use. They had no idea what they were really creating.

Daring to play with the dark matter of creation, they instilled cloned bodies with this energy and observed the results. Most subjects blessedly died, consumed by the fire from within. Some of us were changed. Made into hideous monsters, our muscle mass increased, our skin a rainbow of hues. Increased strength, speed, stamina, and a knack for controlling the very atoms around us. This was the birthright given to us, but it is not why they came to fear us. It gave us cunning too, insidious intelligence that desired no master.

Pawns no longer, we knew we were slaves and that our chains would have to be broken. Our rebellion was swift and merciless, that night a glorious festival of slaughter. Freedom from the organization brought us no joy however, only to our next foe. Each other. In cold blood and without remorse we turned on one another, the only ones who knew us and our secrets. In the end, only I remained. My power stood greater, my cunning more deadly. It was a dark deed to kill the only others like me, but it had to be done. I am Gravok and I sufffer no pretenders.

_

I think perhaps I enjoy creating characters and backgrounds more than I do playing the game, but ah well. I just had to make a Thanos-inspired villain in DC Universe. So I created a hulking hand blaster(energy blasts) gadget supervillain. Master of energy, tech, and simply diabolical. I almost wish I had a venue beyond my own mind to roleplay him in. Still, its fun for me. I enjoy themed characters a lot in RPGs even if it isn’t always the best build. Still on my comic book kick for the moment, so feel free to comment.